function SCNLs = scnlobject(stations, channels, networks, locations)
   % scnl (deprecated) : object that holds the stations, channel, network, and location for
   % a seismic trace.  This object is used by the datasource object.
   % SCNLOBJECT has been replaced by CHANNELTAG
   %
   % scnlobject is now just a backwards-compatibility wrapper for ChannelTag
   % 
   % see ChannelTag

   
   switch (nargin)
      case 0 %default
      case 4 %stations, channel, network, location
      case 3 %stations, channel, network
      case 2 %stations, channel
      case 1 %
         switch class(stations)
            case 'ChannelTag'
               for i = numel(stations): -1 : 1
                  SCNLs(i).tag = stations(i);
               end
               SCNLs = class(SCNLs,'scnlobject');
               return
            case 'scnlobject'
               SCNLs = stations;
               return
            otherwise
               tags = ChannelTag.array(stations);
               for i = numel(tags) : -1 : 1
                  SCNLs(i).tag = tags(i);
               end
               SCNLs = class(SCNLs,'scnlobject');
               return
         end
   end
   
   
   % initialize defaults
   defaultStation = '';
   defaultChannel = '';
   defaultNetwork = ''; %changed default from '--'
   defaultLocation = '';%changed default from '--' 
   
   % assign default if it seems appropriate
   if ~exist('stations','var') || isempty(stations)
      stations = defaultStation;
   end
   if ~exist('channels','var') || isempty(channels)
      channels = defaultChannel;
   end
   if ~exist('networks','var') || isempty(networks)
      networks = defaultNetwork;
   end
   if ~exist('locations','var') || isempty(locations)
      locations = defaultLocation;
   end
   
   if  any(cellfun(@iscell,{networks,stations,locations,channels}))
      % we're building an array of SCNLs pass work off to ChannelTag
      all_tags = ChannelTag.array(networks,stations,locations,channels);
      for i = numel(all_tags) : -1 : 1
         SCNLs(i).tag = all_tags(i);
      end
      SCNLs = class(SCNLs,'scnlobject');
   else
      SCNLs = singleSCNL(stations, channels, networks, locations);
   end
   
end

function scnl = singleSCNL(sta, cha, net, loc)
   scnl.tag = ChannelTag(net, sta, loc, cha);
   scnl = class(scnl,'scnlobject');
end
